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VHS is the full-size cassette used in home VCRs. S-VHS is a higher-resolution version, while VHS-C is the smaller cassette used in many camcorders. All three hold analog video on magnetic tape.

These tapes often hold birthdays, weddings and recordings made on a home video recorder. Look for VHS, S-VHS or VHS-C on the cassette shell. A VHS-C tape may still be inside a full-size playback adapter. Keep handwritten labels and cases with each tape, especially if they identify people, dates or the order of a series.

Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 recordings can all be housed in the same type of 8mm cassette. The cassette shell or printed label does not tell you which format was recorded. Video8 and Hi8 are analog; Digital8 is digital. These are magnetic tapes, distinct from 8mm movie film on open reels.

A Hi8-labeled cassette, for example, may contain a Digital8 recording. We check the recording itself to choose compatible playback equipment. Include the camera model if you know it, keep tapes in their cases and leave the protective flap closed.

MiniDV is a small digital video cassette used in compact camcorders. It often contains home movies, school events or independent video projects. Look for the MiniDV or DV marking on its small rectangular shell.

MiniDV tapes are much smaller than VHS and have a protective flap over the tape. A digital recording still needs a compatible tape deck or camera to be read; it is not a file you can simply plug into a computer. Some similar cassettes contain HDV recordings. Camera details and any recording-mode labels help us distinguish those from standard DV.

Betamax is Sony's analog home video cassette format. Its rectangular tapes are smaller than full-size VHS cassettes. Betamax and professional Betacam are different recording systems, even though their names sound similar.

You may find Beta or Betamax printed on the cassette or its case, along with a handwritten program or family-event label. A Betamax cassette will not play in a VHS recorder. Keep the original case and any notes with it; they can help identify the recording and prevent a family tape from being confused with a professional archive cassette.

A DVD is a full-size optical disc that may hold home movies recorded by a camera, DVD recorder or computer. Unlike a tape, it stores information on the disc surface and is read by a laser.

Home-recorded DVDs may contain a playable video with menus, or a collection of computer files. DVD-R, DVD+R and rewritable discs describe the disc type rather than what is saved on it. Keep titles and dates with each disc. Handle it by the edge or center hole, and keep it in a case so the readable surface is protected.

Mini DVDs are the smaller, 8cm discs used in some camcorders. They look like a regular DVD at a reduced size. A disc may need to be finalized in the original camera before other equipment can read it.

These camcorder discs may contain birthdays, holidays or short recordings spread over several discs. Some are double-sided, so a blank-looking second side may also contain footage. Include all discs from the same event and their original labels. Finalizing makes a recording readable in other players; the camera model helps us understand the disc's recording format and what it may need.

Betacam is a professional video cassette family widely used for television news, production and institutional recordings. Cassettes come in more than one size and recording version. It is different from consumer Betamax.

A production archive may contain original camera tapes, edited programs or master recordings. The exact wording on the shell matters: Betacam SP and Digital Betacam, for example, identify different recording systems. Do not assume that tapes with a similar shell use the same player. Keep production notes, reel numbers and timecode references with the corresponding cassette.

U-matic is an analog video format housed in a large cassette with 3/4-inch tape. It was widely used for broadcast, education and corporate video. Labels may identify different U-matic recording versions.

Look for U-matic, 3/4-inch or recording-version markings on the cassette and its case. These tapes often contain training programs, school productions or news footage, rather than home-camcorder recordings. A large shell does not tell us its running time. Archive labels, program titles and any notes about the recorder help us assess the right setup before a transfer.

DVCPRO is a professional digital video tape format used in broadcast and field production. Its cassettes hold digital recordings and may be marked with a specific DVCPRO version. It uses different equipment from a home VHS tape.

Look for the complete format name on the label, including any 50 or HD designation, rather than relying on the cassette's color. Similar-looking professional tapes can have different playback requirements. Production dates, camera models and reel or timecode notes are useful when matching a tape to an archive. Keep those records with the original cassette and case.

Compact audio cassettes hold sound on magnetic tape, usually with recordings on sides A and B. Microcassettes are a smaller format often used for dictation, interviews and answering machines. Both can contain voices or music.

A standard cassette has two visible reels and often carries a C60 or C90 marking; that is its nominal capacity, not a guarantee that both sides are full. Microcassettes need a different player and may use different recording speeds. Keep side labels and track lists with the tape so spoken recordings and music can be identified in their original sequence.

Reel-to-reel audio uses exposed magnetic tape wound onto a spool. Quarter-inch tape was common for family recordings, interviews and music. The tape speed and track layout determine how it needs to be played.

Unlike movie film, audio tape has no visible picture frames. The same reel size can hold different lengths of tape, and speed changes its playing time. Two-track and four-track recordings require different playback arrangements even when the tape looks the same. Notes such as mono, stereo, track numbers or inches per second help identify family recordings and studio material.

DAT, or Digital Audio Tape, records digital sound on a small enclosed cassette. It was used for studio masters, live recordings and field interviews. A DAT cassette needs a dedicated DAT deck, not a standard cassette player.

A DAT cassette resembles a miniature video cassette, with two reels enclosed behind a protective shell. It stores digital audio, but still depends on a working tape transport to read that recording. It is different from a standard audio cassette and from ADAT studio tape. Keep original cases and track lists with the cassettes, including any notes about sample rate or recording order.

ADAT is a digital multitrack audio format that records separate sound channels onto S-VHS tape. Although the cassette looks like a video tape, it may contain individual music or studio tracks instead of pictures.

A tape from an ADAT session can contain separate instrument and vocal tracks that were intended to be mixed together. Several tapes may belong to one synchronized session, making reel numbers and track sheets especially helpful. S-VHS on the shell identifies the tape stock; session labels may reveal its audio use. These recordings need ADAT equipment, rather than a household VCR.

Two-inch 24-track tape is a large studio reel that holds up to 24 separate analog audio tracks. It was used for professional music recording, with vocals and instruments often recorded on individual tracks.

These reels are much larger and heavier than household audio reels. A session may contain individual takes, alternate performances and a timing or synchronization track alongside the music. A multitrack recording is different from a finished stereo mix. Track sheets, reel numbers, tape speed and noise-reduction notes help explain how the session was recorded and which material belongs together.

Printed photographs are images on paper, including loose snapshots, portraits and pictures in albums. Scanning creates a digital image from the print itself. Larger prints and album pages may need different handling from loose snapshots.

Loose snapshots, studio portraits and album photographs can be scanned from the image that survives on the paper. A print and its original negative are different sources, so tell us if you have both. Keep meaningful groups together and mention captions on the back that you want retained. Do not peel apart stuck prints or pull a photograph from a page if it resists.

A photographic slide is a small positive image on transparent film, usually held in a cardboard or plastic mount. Most family slide collections are 35mm and may be stored in boxes, sleeves or projector carousels.

Unlike a negative, a slide shows the scene in its normal colors when held to light. Its mount may carry a date, frame number or handwritten caption. Carousels and numbered boxes can preserve a family's intended viewing order, so keep them together. The size of the mount does not always reveal the film size inside; unusual mounts or larger transparencies should be identified before ordering.

Photographic negatives are film strips or individual frames used to make prints. Their tones and colors are reversed. Scanning converts each frame into a positive digital image that can be viewed normally.

Color negatives usually have an orange-brown base; black-and-white negatives reverse light and dark without that color mask. A strip can contain several separate photographs, including frames that were never printed. Keep strips in protective sleeves and avoid cutting them into individual images. If you also have matching prints, let us know so we can discuss which source to scan.

Betacam is a professional video cassette family widely used for television news, production and institutional recordings. Cassettes come in more than one size and recording version. It is different from consumer Betamax.

A production archive may contain original camera tapes, edited programs or master recordings. The exact wording on the shell matters: Betacam SP and Digital Betacam, for example, identify different recording systems. Do not assume that tapes with a similar shell use the same player. Keep production notes, reel numbers and timecode references with the corresponding cassette.

U-matic is an analog video format housed in a large cassette with 3/4-inch tape. It was widely used for broadcast, education and corporate video. Labels may identify different U-matic recording versions.

Look for U-matic, 3/4-inch or recording-version markings on the cassette and its case. These tapes often contain training programs, school productions or news footage, rather than home-camcorder recordings. A large shell does not tell us its running time. Archive labels, program titles and any notes about the recorder help us assess the right setup before a transfer.

DVCPRO is a professional digital video tape format used in broadcast and field production. Its cassettes hold digital recordings and may be marked with a specific DVCPRO version. It uses different equipment from a home VHS tape.

Look for the complete format name on the label, including any 50 or HD designation, rather than relying on the cassette's color. Similar-looking professional tapes can have different playback requirements. Production dates, camera models and reel or timecode notes are useful when matching a tape to an archive. Keep those records with the original cassette and case.

DAT, or Digital Audio Tape, records digital sound on a small enclosed cassette. It was used for studio masters, live recordings and field interviews. A DAT cassette needs a dedicated DAT deck, not a standard cassette player.

A DAT cassette resembles a miniature video cassette, with two reels enclosed behind a protective shell. It stores digital audio, but still depends on a working tape transport to read that recording. It is different from a standard audio cassette and from ADAT studio tape. Keep original cases and track lists with the cassettes, including any notes about sample rate or recording order.

ADAT is a digital multitrack audio format that records separate sound channels onto S-VHS tape. Although the cassette looks like a video tape, it may contain individual music or studio tracks instead of pictures.

A tape from an ADAT session can contain separate instrument and vocal tracks that were intended to be mixed together. Several tapes may belong to one synchronized session, making reel numbers and track sheets especially helpful. S-VHS on the shell identifies the tape stock; session labels may reveal its audio use. These recordings need ADAT equipment, rather than a household VCR.

Two-inch 24-track tape is a large studio reel that holds up to 24 separate analog audio tracks. It was used for professional music recording, with vocals and instruments often recorded on individual tracks.

These reels are much larger and heavier than household audio reels. A session may contain individual takes, alternate performances and a timing or synchronization track alongside the music. A multitrack recording is different from a finished stereo mix. Track sheets, reel numbers, tape speed and noise-reduction notes help explain how the session was recorded and which material belongs together.